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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 1 is more affordable, which makes it a good choice if your budget is tight and you need a laptop that covers basic tasks like browsing the internet, working with office documents, and streaming videos. However, the ASUS Zenbook 14, while costing more, offers better performance with a higher-end processor and more memory, making it suitable for more demanding tasks such as photo editing or multi-tasking with many applications. The Zenbook also has a higher-quality OLED display that will provide a superior visual experience and is lighter and slimmer, enhancing portability. On the other hand, the Acer Aspire 1 has a longer battery life, making it ideal if you need a device that can last longer on a single charge, but it has a lower resolution display and its performance will not be as smooth for intensive tasks. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 1
- The Acer Aspire 1 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook 14.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a basic CPU and RAM, a lower-quality TN screen, and average battery life, making it less suitable for demanding general use, whereas the ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a better CPU, more RAM, superior OLED screen quality, longer battery life, and greater portability, all of which contribute to a fair performance for general use tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.5
7.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
2.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
2.4/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1, with an Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of RAM, offers limited performance for demanding engineering and design applications, whereas the ASUS Zenbook 14's Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and superior Iris Xe graphics make it a more capable machine for such tasks.
Content Creation
5.9
7.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
6.1
7.0
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
5.2
8.3
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, the Acer Aspire 1 has a display that lacks sharpness and brightness, making it less ideal for viewing content and productivity tasks, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a higher resolution and brighter screen that enhances readability and media consumption. For engineering and design work, the Zenbook 14's display covers a wider color spectrum, which is critical for accuracy in visual projects, something the Aspire 1's screen doesn't provide. However, for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from smoother motion, the Zenbook 14's lower refresh rate holds it back compared to displays specifically geared for those purposes, despite its higher resolution and panel quality.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 1 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
7.8
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$215
$300
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
$450
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $215 and the ASUS Zenbook 14 costs $300.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.7
6.2
2.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
2.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook 14 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a basic Intel Celeron GPU with a standard screen refresh rate, making it poor for gaming and 3D applications that require advanced graphics capabilities. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 14 has a more capable Intel Iris Xe GPU and a higher refresh rate, contributing to its fair performance in gaming and 3D tasks.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the ASUS Zenbook 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | ASUS Zenbook 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$215 | $300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 12.4'' x 8.7'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 3.06 lbs | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i5-1240P | |
Graphics | |||
Graphics | UHD Graphics | Iris Xe G7 | |
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | |||
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | No | No | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 90Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 339 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Keyboard Lighting Color | |||
Keyboard Lighting Color | N/A | White | |
Warranty Period | |||
Warranty Period | 1 year | 1 year | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."
ASUS Zenbook 14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | August 2022
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the ASUS Zenbook 14
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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